From: Anonymous@cs.Buffalo.EDU
Date: Sun, 21 Feb 93 11:56:43 PST
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: whistleblower newsgroup?
Message-ID: <9302211955.AA12769@armstrong.cs.Buffalo.EDU>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


>How about a newsgroup devoted to `whistleblowing'
>where anonymity is encouraged? It could even be `anonymously moderated' 
>where all the postings are guaranteed to go through an anonymous server 
>before posting. (Whoever wanted to be *really* sure could anonymize the
>message before posting.) I haven't seen *any* newsgroups dedicated to looking 
>at government abuses from the "inside" (this would be for employees esp.) 
>I can imagine all kinds of neat little secrets about our government's
>illustrious practices leaking out..  The potential for `good' is good, 

Excellent idea. I am a government official who has blown the whistle on 
several major abuses, and have trusted friends in the media. I can see 
to it that if alt.whistleblowers becomes real, it will be read.

Submissions should be to a mailbox that renders the articles anonymous 
before they go public. There might be an alt.whistleblowers.d for 
discussion where members of the press could (here's where crypto-tech 
comes in) post requests for further information. PGP (or whatever) sigs 
could serve as press "credentials" and interested reporters could post 
their public keys to a trusted repository.

This has a lot of merit.

Since we know that the press is the only effective means by which a tale 
of government abuse can be told, this could change the way government 
does business, knowing that honest people have nothing to fear by 
pointing out the crooks. I've seen it happen ... makes you feel good.


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